His Missing Luna

CHAPTER 108

MALACHAI

FINDING DECLAN



It weighs on me like a stone around my neck. Once again, I’ve failed to keep my family together. This time, though, I’ve done it with my own hands. I’ve driven a wedge between us, forced my family to choose sides—against my own daughter.

Amerie.

Her stubbornness, her defiance—it’s all too familiar, like staring into a mirror of my past. She is my daughter, as I am her father. We’re too alike, both willing to fight for the ones we love. But now, our love has become a battlefield.

I had thought she would accept Anselm as her mate. That my plan would fall into place, and she’d remain by our side, starting a family that would bring me the joy of seeing my grandchildren run through our halls. I’d imagined a future where everything fit neatly into place, where Amerie followed the path I’d carved for her, never questioning it.

But her refusal shattered all those dreams. She said she would discard the crown—her title, her lineage, us. For him. For Nathan.

She would leave everything behind, just as I had once done for my mate. She would give it all up for the bond that runs in her blood, the same fierce loyalty that burns in mine.

She is truly my daughter.

But where I should feel pride, I feel only shame. I should have listened to her. I should have seen that her doubts weren’t weakness—they were the same instincts that have guided our family for generations.

Silvercrest Wolves are famous for their fierce loyalty to both their mates and the mate bond.

I let my heart overrule my head, and now, I’m paying for it.

“Where is she now?” I ask Gary as he walks toward me in the hospital’s reception.

He sighs. “Sitting on the floor outside the operating room. She hasn’t moved.”

“And she still won’t eat?” My voice is thin, trembling at the edges.

Gary shakes his head. “She won’t change her clothes either. She’s refused to speak to anyone. Not even her mother.”

My breath catches in my throat, and I clench my fists, feeling my powers ripple uncomfortably beneath my skin. This is my fault. Even my wolf paces within me, restless and ashamed.

“I caused this,” I say, barely above a whisper. “I made her choose. I pushed her too far.”

“And now you have to fix it,” Gary says quietly, beside me. “There’s still time.”

I turn to him, desperate. “How? She’s shut me out. Shut her mother out. Shut the entire pack out. She’s rejected her crown, her family, her lineage. How do I undo this? How do I make things right?”

My wolf lets out a low whine, the sound of defeat echoing in my mind. I can feel his despair mirroring my own. We are both trapped by our mistakes, bound by the choices that led us here.

Gary’s voice is calm but firm. “You start by healing her mate.”

My heart sinks. “Nathan isn’t healing?”

“His wolf was already gone before Midriel used the Shakuna on him,” Gary says grimly.

Gone.

My chest tightens with guilt. I hadn’t acted quickly enough to stop Midriel. Neither of us had expected Amerie to appear when she did, her powers flaring to protect the man she loves.

My daughter. My powerful little girl.

“Only you can find his wolf,” Gary continues, his words steadying me. “You can heal both of them.”

The power of the Alpha King runs in my veins, a gift from the goddess herself. I have the ability to find a wolf that’s been lost, to pull it back into the body it belongs to. But the question gnaws at me: If I save him, will she still leave me?

“The most important thing to her right now is for her mate to survive,” Gary adds. “Once he’s healed, we’ll go from there.”

And if she still decides to leave? The thought terrifies me. I’ve never felt so close to losing her—not just as a daughter, but as a member of the pack, as the princess of the Silvercrest wolves. What will I do if she walks away for good?

I can’t lose her again. I can’t lose any family member again.

“They’ve taken him to the ICU,” Midriel says through the link, his voice heavy with regret. “She’s covered the room with her shield and still won’t speak to us.”

His tone is soaked in guilt—he knows the weight of what we’ve done. My son, my heir, almost killed his only sister’s mate. And I... I had allowed it to happen.

The air shifts, and I sense Rakiel before I see her. She appears near us, her eyes filled with a sadness she can’t fully hide, even through our bond. The pain radiates between us, unspoken but felt, and I know I’ve caused this too.

“You need to go inside and heal him, Mal,” De Santos says, his voice wrapped in that familiar Spanish accent. “He won’t last the night if you don’t.”

I glance at Rakiel, hoping for a word from her, something to ease the growing pit in my chest. But she says nothing, crossing her arms and sitting in silence, her face a mask of hidden emotions.

“My love, please. Say something,” I link her, hating the quiet between us.

She blinks back tears, the barest flicker of emotion before her mental walls go back up. “Just heal him, Malachai. Amerie hasn’t stopped crying.”

Her words cut deeper than any blade. My daughter. My mate. Both of them suffering because of me. I grit my teeth, anger swirling in my chest. I’ve failed them.

“I will do anything you want,” I whisper to her, desperation creeping into my voice.

“Then go,” she says softly. “Save him.”

I rise to my feet, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. Summoning my powers, I extend my hand to Rakiel. “I need you with me, my queen.”

She takes my hand, and together, we disappear from the hospital lobby.

We reappear inside Nathan’s room. Amerie is there, slumped over in her chair, her hand gripping Nathan’s as if her touch alone could keep him alive. Her power pulses faintly around them, her shield shimmering in the air. It’s strong—but not strong enough to stop me.

She’s so powerful. I smile, despite the weight of the situation. My daughter.

Rakiel links me, her voice soft. “I’ll stand behind her while you work. I don’t want to startle her.”

I nod, grateful. “Thank you, my love.”

As I step closer, I can feel it—the absence. Nathan’s wolf is gone, his wounds covered in gauze, but the scent of Declan—the wolf—is missing.

I have to find him.

Summoning my power, I open the connection to the portal that links all wolves. In my mind, I hear them—a chorus of howls, growls, and whispers, each wolf distinct and alive. My wolf surges forward, his growl echoing through the void. One by one, the wolves answer, acknowledging their Alpha King.

All except one.

Nathan’s wolf, Declan, is missing. Weak. His form slumped on the ground somewhere deep within the portal. I reach out to him, calling his name. “Declan...”

His eyes open, barely slits, and my wolf touches his head to Declan’s. At the contact, Declan jolts awake, his strength returning in a rush.

I’ve found him.

Back in the hospital room, Nathan’s body convulses. His limbs thrash violently, his groans a testament to the pain of his wolf returning. His human cells fighting against the presence of hos wolf’s.

This pain is the same as when a wolf shifts for the first time.

Amerie bolts upright, panic flashing in her eyes.

“Nathan!” she screams, her voice raw with fear. Her gaze snaps to me, and in an instant, her anger flares. I’ve betrayed her. Again.

“What are you doing to him?!” She’s on her feet, her fingers glowing as she prepares to attack. “Let him go!”

Before she can strike, Rakiel steps forward, freezing Amerie in place with her power. My daughter’s eyes widen, fear and shock flickering across her face.

“Let me go, Mother!” she growls, her voice laced with desperation.

“He’s healing Nathan, Amerie,” Rakiel says softly. “Please, let him.”